Amethi has long stood as a bastion of political influence for the Indian National Congress. Its indelible ties with the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty have rendered it a centre of Indian political drama.
This prominence sprouted in the early 1980s when Sanjay Gandhi, son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, vied for the constituency. Upon his untimely demise, his sibling Rajiv Gandhi assumed the mantle, deepening the family’s entrenched sway and retaining the seat until his assassination in 1991.
Thereafter, his widow Sonia Gandhi and their son Rahul Gandhi resurrected this legacy following a hiatus from the political limelight. Sonia Gandhi secured the Amethi seat in 1999 before shifting to Rae Bareli, thereby clearing the path for Rahul’s successful bid in 2004.
Rahul subsequently retained his grip on the seat with re-elections in 2009 and 2014, thereby solidifying the family’s dominion over Amethi.
In an unprecedented twist, Smriti Irani of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vanquished Rahul Gandhi by a margin of 55,120 votes in the 2019 general elections, heralding a seismic shift in the political firmament.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
Nevertheless, in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Congress fielded the steadfast loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma, who recaptured the seat for the party by defeating Irani with a margin of 1,67,196 votes.
Sharma spoke to The Wire on the election’s outcomes, their import and the attendant challenges. Here are the highlights of that conversation.
How does it feel to achieve such an important win in Amethi? You’ve been involved with the party in a different role for many years; how was the experience of having this new role of contestant and now MP?
It’s true that until now, I had expertise in election management and had to enter the election arena directly for the first time on the orders of the Congress high command. I feel a new energy from this success in the election. With the blessings of the Gandhi family, I am confident that I will successfully fulfil this new role as well.
Your candidacy surprised many people, including yourself. What was your reaction when you first heard the news? People are very interested in the whole story behind your nomination, please shed some light on it.
I was surely surprised by the order to contest the election from Amethi, but not apprehensive, because Rahul ji and Priyanka ji had clearly stated that we have to win Amethi. ‘There is no one better and more trustworthy than you, as you have served the people of Amethi for 40 years’, they told me.
Rahul ji and Priyanka ji provided me with full support in completing the nomination process. The Supreme Court lawyers who completed Rahul ji’s nomination process assisted me here [in Amethi] on his instructions, so there was no trouble.
Irani was a strong opponent, a Union minister, and she won the 2019 election against Rahul Gandhi. The battle must have been tough. What do you think were the main reasons for your success in this election?
It’s true that contesting against Irani was a challenge, but the Gandhi family’s over four-decade-old connection with Amethi and the solid foundation of development works done by the late Rajiv ji and Rahul ji made it easier. Building a house on a strong foundation is easy, and this was the biggest reason for my victory.
Additionally, the deception faced by the common people of Amethi over the last five years made them angry, which also benefited us.
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The Congress announced its candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli at the very last moment. When your name came up instead of Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, people started saying that Rahul Gandhi did not want to contest from Amethi again due to the 2019 defeat. What is your response to this?
The Gandhi family has a 103-year-old connection with Rae Bareli and Amethi. There is no question of delay or haste in decisions between the Gandhi family and the common people. The Congress took an appropriate decision at the right time, and the people of Rae Bareli and Amethi endorsed it by electing us with a huge margin.
It is wrong to say that Rahul ji did not contest from Amethi due to the 2019 defeat. If this were true, how did we [the Congress] win by such a large margin in Amethi?
On what main issues did you focus during your campaign, and how did you address the concerns of the people of Amethi?
During the election campaign, we only talked about the development works that have taken Amethi forward on the path of progress. We kept the family relationship of Rajiv ji, Sonia ji and Rahul ji at the centre of our campaign. The public listened to these matters seriously and, regretting their previous decision, gave victory to Congress.
This is not just my victory or the Congress’s victory; it is the victory of the people of Amethi. The people themselves fought our election.
Amethi historically holds special significance for the Congress party. How do you plan to continue this legacy and contribute to its development?
The Gandhi family has been concerned about the development of Amethi for many decades. They have taken Amethi up several rungs of the development ladder. Rahul ji had assured the people of Amethi in election rallies that there would be as much development in Amethi as in Rae Bareli.
Recently. In the ‘Aabhar Sabha’ (gratitude meeting), Rahul ji reiterated this. When Rahul ji is so concerned about Amethi even after being elected as an MP from Rae Bareli, I believe I do not need to worry much. Nevertheless, as an MP, I will make every possible effort for the development of Amethi.
Since the announcement of your candidacy was late, you had less time for the election campaign. What were the main challenges in this situation?
The Congress family in Amethi is so large that we did not need to worry much about challenges. Our main challenge is not the opposition party but the development of Amethi, and we need to meet that challenge.
Now that you have been elected, what are your immediate priorities?
Our immediate priority is the development of Amethi. We will focus on completing the projects started during Rahul ji’s time and will also work on freeing the common people of Amethi from oppression. We will keep pressing the officials to complete the development works on time.
How do you plan to involve local people in your development initiatives and ensure that their voices are heard in the decision-making process?
We have seen this during the times of Rajiv ji and Rahul ji. Party workers and the common people have always ensured participation in every development work. Rajiv ji, Sonia ji and Rahul ji maintained regional balance in development works.
Development works will continue to be carried out based on public opinion and problems, as they have been in the past. We will continue to work on the same policy in the future.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and future vision for Amethi?
Although my role in Amethi is new, the spirit of service remains the same. We need to implement that spirit effectively, so that the old sacred relationship between the Gandhi family and Amethi remains intact.
All the development works you see in Amethi happened during the times of Rajiv ji, Sonia ji and Rahul ji. I want to assure the people of Amethi that if the governments [the BJP-run state and Union governments] do not create hurdles, a beautiful narrative of development in Amethi will be written with the blessings of Rahul ji and Priyanka ji in the future.
Also read: The Radical Rahul Gandhi Nobody Expected
Can you talk about the specific policies or projects you plan to introduce to improve the lives of your constituents?
The specific policy is the one created through the people. The people of Amethi are the policymakers. We are just the followers of their orders. When the public creates its own policy, life automatically becomes better.
Both the Union and state governments are ruled by the BJP. Of the five assembly segments in your Lok Sabha constituency, three were won by the BJP and two by the Samajwadi Party. Now, the latter two legislators are also with the BJP.
Will you face difficulties in getting your work done in such a situation? How will you resolve these issues and ensure the development of your area doesn’t get stuck in these matters?
It is true that the Congress is not in power at the centre or the state, but the elected government has a responsibility. As a public representative, we will discuss our plans and projects with the officials of the Union and state governments and take Amethi towards progress. We will not let the public’s trust break.
If the legislators do not show interest in development works or create obstacles, the public will respond themselves, as you saw in the Lok Sabha election.
Irani started several projects in Amethi. How do you plan to address or continue these projects?
We will definitely review such schemes and projects. We will make efforts to complete them at every level in the public interest.
Lastly, what do you think this victory means for the Congress party at the state and national levels?
Analysing and assessing this is the job of journalists like you. I have simply followed the orders of the Gandhi family as an ordinary worker, and the respected people of Amethi have given me a responsibility. Strengthening the trust in the Gandhi family in Amethi is our main task, and the Gandhi family’s sole objective is the development of their Amethi.